Gene Fish retires to '40 hours' per week

Most people would not think of working 40 hours a week as retirement, but for Gene Fish, that is 40 hours less a week than he has been used to working over the last 16 plus years.

Fish has worked with the Clearwater County Sheriff's Department since 1978 when he came to the area as the resident deputy for Weippe. Eleven years later, he became jail administrator and also took a full time position at State Hospital North in the Juvenile Diagnostic Unit. Later, when they closed that part of the facility, he transferred to the Psychiatric Unit. When he became Chief Deputy in 2002, he continued with SHN.

He retired from both last week and plans to "sit down and relax" with a 40-hour a week job doing assembly work in the service department of Mountain Motor Sports. Fish also hopes to enjoy some of the hobbies that he just has not had time to do such as hunting, fishing, woodworking, cooking and baking. Cake decorating is another of his hobbies that he pursued more while working in Weippe. He said his "first order of business" is to get his shop together. He and his wife, Marilyn, will find life very different when he has weekends, evenings and holidays off.

Working as resident deputy for Weippe was his favorite time because he was able to make a lot of personal friends in the small community, be active with the students in the schools and be there to help when friends and neighbors.

He and his wife raised their three daughters in Weippe. In fact, their third daughter was born at home in Weippe. Fish delivered her in the middle of a February snowstorm. At the time he was in process of training as an emergency medical technician (EMT) and fortunately had taken the child birth portion of the course. He has been certified as an EMT ever since.

Fish said he learned a lot every day. The respect he got from the community and the people he served in Weippe helped him to understand that people who are friends and neighbors have problems and he is thankful he could be there and be able to help. He feels he will take with him a lot of fond memories, friendships and satisfaction in completing a 32 year career in law enforcement. From his work at SHN, he takes the knowledge to be able to work with people who have mental illnesses to provide stability and safety with they are at the facility and that is a positive.

Over his career, he has seen a lot of changes in law enforcement with technology, training and the type criminals there are today. It is always a struggle to stay current with the technology that criminals are using. It seems like law enforcement technology is always outdated or limited by courts, he said. CCSO has come a long way in the last 28 years and has always been a professional, highly motivated department. Because training tends to follow technology, he feels that officers are better prepared now than they were 32 years ago. They have technology at their fingertips, but that does not replace good law enforcement and investigation.

Methamphetamine use is worst negative changes he has seen in dealing with criminals. Crimes have become more violent because of meth or drug use, he said.

For those considering law enforcement as a career he wants them to know he has had a wonderful, fulfilling career. Law enforcement does not make officers rich in money, but it can be fulfilling and interesting. His career has enabled him to see and do things would not have been able to otherwise.

His original law enforcement goal was to do the right thing and impact others' lives for the better and he did. He has seen good changes in people and in his own life.

Law enforcement has been a part of his life and family for 32 years and he will miss the camaraderie he has felt with other officers and the interaction with the community. He feels fortunate to be able to have served the community. It was a really pleasant change to come from somewhere that he was just another badge number to one where people knew his name and he knew theirs and their children.

A retirement party is planned for Fish Jan. 28 at 5 p.m. at the Krystal Cafe'. It will be a no host buffet. Those who plan to attend need to RSVP to Renee Hedrick at 476-4521 or by email at: rhedrick@clearwatercounty.org. Cost is $12 per person.

Photo: Clearwater County Sheriff's Department Chief Deputy Gene Fish